is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

for the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB). He is the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

holder with a record of 13 consecutive games with

stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

Early baseball career

Shuto participated three times in the Japan National Collegiate Baseball Championship and once in the Meiji Shrine Baseball Championship while studying at the Tokyo University of Agriculture Hokkaido Okhotsk. In 2017, he was selected

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

in the Hokkaido Universities Baseball League.

Professional career

On October 26, 2017, Shuto was drafted as a developmental player by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the

2017 Nippon Professional Baseball draft The 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on October 26, , for the 53rd time at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB. It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutical ...

. In 2018 season, he played in informal matches against the

Shikoku Island League Plus The is an independent professional baseball league on the island of Shikoku in Japan. (None of the teams in Nippon Professional Baseball are based in Shikoku.) The league currently has four teams, and has its league headquarters in Takamatsu. Th ...

's teams and amateur baseball teams, and played in the Western League of NPB's second leagues. On October 3, despite being a developmental player, he was selected as the

Japan national baseball team The is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009, as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by the World Baseball Sof ...

for the

2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup The 2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup, officially II U-23 Baseball World Cup, is the second edition of the U-23 Baseball World Cup tournament, third since the tournament's inception in 2014 as the 21U Baseball World Cup. The tournament was held at Edga ...

because of his speed and defense. On March 26, 2019, Shuto signed a 6 million yen contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as a registered player under control. In the 2019 season, he played mainly as a defensive player and a

pinch runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...

and recorded 25

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

s while being caught five times while batting .196/.212/.294 in 102 at bats. On October 30, 2020, Shuto achieved 13 games consecutive stolen bases, breaking the NPB record for

Yutaka Fukumoto is a retired Japanese professional baseball player in Nippon Professional Baseball. An aggressive lead-off man and superior defensive centerfielder, he holds the Japanese career records in triples and stolen bases. He also hit more lead-off home ...

's 11 games consecutive stolen bases in 1974 and the

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

record for 12 games consecutive stolen bases for

Bert Campaneris Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the Kansas City / ...

in 1969. In 2020 season, Shuto won the Pacific League stolen bases leader award with a record of 50 stolen bases, and hitting .270/.325/.352 in 307 at bats, with a one home run , a 27 RBIs. In the

2020 Japan Series The 2020 Japan Series (known as the ''SMBC Nippon Series 2020'' for sponsorship reasons) was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) 2020 season. The 71st edition of the Japan Series, it was played from November 21 to 25. ...

against the

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

, Shuto contributed to the team's fourth consecutive Japan Series championship with one hit, one stolen base and good defense. December 17, Shuto was honored for the Pacific League Stolen bases Leader Award and NPB Commissioner's Special Award at the NPB AWARD 2020. In 2021 season, he had played in the season opener, but on June 10 he broke the index finger of his right hand and was dropped from the first team registration.He also underwent surgery on his right shoulder on September 10, the team announced. Because of this, he only played in 70 games, finishing the season with a .201 batting average, three home runs, five runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. On June 7, 2022, Shuto recorded a total of 100 stolen bases in the

interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pr ...

against the

Hanshin Tigers The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...

. He also hit his first

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...

on June 18 against the

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping c ...

and his first lead-off home run on August 4 against the

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Fighters also host a ...

. In 2022 season, he finished the regular season with a .267 batting average, a five home runs, a 15 RBI, and a 22 stolen bases in 80 games.

International career

On October 3, 2018, despite being a developmental player, he was selected as the

for the

because of his speed and defense. On October 1, 2019, unusual case, Shuto was evaluated for base-running technique as a pinch runner and was selected as the Japan national baseball top team for the

2019 WBSC Premier12 The 2019 WBSC Premier12 was an international baseball championship featuring the 12 highest-ranked national teams in the world, held by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). It was the second WBSC Premier12 event. The championship ...

tournament. He led the tournament with four stolen bases. Shuto was called up to the Japan national baseball team for the Samurai Japan Series 2022 and recorded a stolen base against the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

on November 10, 2022.

References

External links

Career statistics - NPB.jp

- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site 1996 births Living people Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players Japanese expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Tokyo University of Agriculture alumni Baseball people from Gunma Prefecture 2019 WBSC Premier12 players Gigantes de Carolina players {{Japan-baseball-infielder-stub